


there's something about us I want to say, cause there's something between us anyway

by AutisticMob



Series: Killugon Week 2020 [4]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, Everyone Is Gay, Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jewish Character, M/M, Muslim Character, One Shot, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Social Media, Swearing, Transphobia, YouTube, Youtuber AU, a few sexual jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24044779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutisticMob/pseuds/AutisticMob
Summary: Day 4 of Killugon Week.Prompt(s): Social MediaKillua and Gon are pet YouTubers who happen to live next to each other. The two of them do a collaboration video where they meet each other's pets, and Killua uses the opportunity to try and get over his fear of bugs.
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck
Series: Killugon Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725532
Kudos: 80





	there's something about us I want to say, cause there's something between us anyway

“Alright, so in a huge fucking plot twist absolutely nobody expected, it turns out that Gon lives in the next town over.” Killua ran a hand through his hair as he sat in front of the camera mounted atop the tripod on his bedroom floor. His eyes shifted to the chat on the side of his screen, watching as the chat erupted with positive reactions. 

“And he said he wants to collab. We were both gonna do a ‘meet my pets’ video with each other.” He shuddered at the thought of having to touch bugs. If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was bugs. Milluki and Illumi knew that, and they’d used it to torment him for their own entertainment. He’d almost said no to the collaboration, but the thought of hanging out with Gon and meeting his beloved pets sent Killua’s heart into his throat. 

Of course, he also wanted to work on getting over his phobia. There was nothing he hated more than letting it control his life, and the sense of fear he felt even at seeing harmless insects like ants, ladybugs, and butterflies churned his stomach. 

A message flashed past in the chat that made Killua’s blood boil. 

_‘lol rnt u scared of bugs, pussy?’_

It was upsetting because it was _true_.

“So...yeah. We’re gonna meet and film that video tomorrow. I’m not sure how long editing will take me, but expect it to be up in a few days. 

_‘omg i ship it!’_

Killua let out a nervous laugh. His fans were more perceptive than he thought, and some of them had picked up on the painfully obvious fact that he had a crush on Gon. 

“Alright. Thanks for watching my stream. I have to go help my dads with dinner now. They insist I help them cook like, all the time.”

_‘Bring The Camera!!’_

_‘SHOW US THE DADS’_

_‘dad reveal when’_

_‘i h8 fags’_

_‘Let us meet your dads!’_

Most of the messages seemed positive enough.

“Well, a lot of you are blowing up the chat, so...I guess I should introduce you to my dads. I can’t believe you’ve never seen them and I’ve had this channel for like...two years, right?” Killua rose from his seat on the floor and took his camera off the tripod. He hoisted his old laptop into his free arm, propping it against his elbow as he carried the camera with the other hand down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

“Hey, uh...all my fans wanna meet you two, so say hi or something,” Killua said as he entered the kitchen. Leorio stood in front of the stove holding a pan, and Kurapika was washing vegetables in the sink. 

Killua placed his laptop down on the counter and held the camera out towards Leorio, who turned to look into it and smiled, flashing a thumbs up. “Yo, I’m Killua’s dad. Well, one of them.”

With that, the chat blew up. 

_‘YOOOO, KILLUA’S DAD IS LOWKEY A DILF? LMAO’_

_‘10/10 would smash’_

_‘Your dad is kind of hot’_

_‘im gonna fuck your dad and become your new dad’_

Killua looked at the chat, face reddening. 

“What’re they saying about me?” Leorio questioned. 

Killua cleared his throat. “Uh...they’re all saying how hot you are.”

Leorio laughed, full and deep. “Really? Damn.”

Kurapika glanced over his shoulder. “They’re right, you know.” He placed the wet carrot on the cutting board beside the sink and came to Leorio’s side, hands sneaking around his waist. 

_‘bruh’_

_‘THATS YOUR OTHER DAD? I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOUR SISTER’_

_‘anyone else kinda wanna fuck him too? can we have a threesome?’_

_‘I thought your parents were a straight couple.’_

_‘He Got A Pussy?’_

_‘both you’re dads are extremely hot ahaha’_

_‘That’s a woman’_

“Seems like everyone likes you two, besides a little transphobic nonsense,” Killua sighed. 

Kurapika returned to washing the vegetables for the meal. “That’s to be expected, I suppose.”

“Yeah, but it sucks.”

Leorio put his arm around Killua’s neck and noogied his son. “It can’t be helped. Just ignore ‘em.”

Killua laughed and squirmed as he tried to hold the camera steady. “C’moooon, I’m streaming!”

“On Tiktok? Are you gonna do Renegade?” Leorio asked. 

Killua rolled his eyes but stifled a laugh. “No, YouTube. I don’t use Tiktok very much. Anyways…” he ducked out of Leorio’s grip and ascended the staircase, laptop in hand. 

“I’m gonna end the stream now. I have to help my dads with dinner, but expect the video with me and Gon in a couple days. Thanks for your support everyone!” 

With that, he ended the livestream and turned off his camera. Killua went back to his bedroom and put his laptop and camera on his desk before returning downstairs to help Leorio and Kurapika with dinner. 

Once the food was ready, he called Alluka down for dinner, and the four of them ate together and talked about their days. Killua still found it strange, as his ex-family couldn’t give two fucks about his day, but Kurapika and Leorio were always interested. 

After dinner, Killua returned to his bedroom and fed his many pet fish, crossing his bedroom from tank to tank and watching with a smile as his fish surfaced to eat the flakes, worms, seaweed, and other foods he sprinkled into their tanks. After having left his abusive household behind, he turned to aquaculture as a means of dealing with his trauma, especially caring for his multiple fish tanks and dozens of pet fish. They not only helped him relax and kept him grounded when his PTSD got hard to handle, but also gave him something to look forward to and a non-judgemental, silent but ever-listening audience who paid attention to every detail of his painful childhood. 

He loved them so much that he centered his entire YouTube channel around them, unwinding after school by filming vlogs of himself caring for his fish, feeding them, telling their stories, and giving care advice. He loved it, and setting up new tanks with Alluka’s help was his guilty pleasure. 

After he finished feeding his fish, he played video games for several hours before going to sleep, excited for the weekend tomorrow and eagerly awaiting his video collaboration with Gon. 

  


* * *

  


Killua entered the kitchen to Leorio and Kurapika making pancakes and eggs, hold the bacon since their house was kept _kosher_ at Kurapika’s request. 

“Hey,” he said through a mouthful of eggs, “I’m going to meet with a friend to do a YouTube video today. Is that alright?”

Leorio looked at him, then at Kurapika, who leaned back in his chair with a small sigh. 

“It’s fine, just be safe. Text us when you get there, okay? And please try and be back before dark. If you won’t, text us and let us know please,” Kurapika said. 

Killua nodded. He couldn’t be annoyed at his dad’s demand, especially given that he was adopted _and_ Kurapika and Leorio were a same-gender couple, so any mistakes on their part would be scrutinized with more harshness than would a cis couple with their biological child.

“Okay. I’ll be safe, don’t worry.”

Leorio took a sip of his coffee. “I know. We trust you, but we also want you to be safe. We care about you a lot.”

Heat bloomed across Killua’s cheeks like cherry blossoms. “Th-thanks.”

After he finished his breakfast, he gave Alluka a kiss on the forehead before putting on his shoes. “Oh yeah, my friend is gonna come over later, is that okay?”

Leorio glanced at him. “Huh? Ah, the house is kind of a mess…”

“It’s fine, dad. We’ll stay in my bedroom. Please?”

“Alright, as long as you stay in your bedroom and don’t make too much noise, okay?” Leorio asked. 

Killua nodded and picked up his skateboard that was propped up against the wall. “Thanks. I’m leaving now, I’ll text you when I get there.”

“Okay. Stay safe. Love you.”

“Love you,” Killua mumbled as he opened the door and headed through the hall of the apartment complex, down the stairs and out the door. He rode his skateboard up the block to the bus station, and rode the bus to the next town over. He sat alone by himself and listened to music, keeping his fully charged phone close so he could text one of his dads if anything went wrong. 

Nothing did, of course, but he’d never hear the end of it if something bad happened to him. 

He got off at his stop and skateboarded down several blocks, looking for the apartment complex Gon had mentioned. When he spotted it, he went inside and made his way up the dimly-lit gray staircase towards the apartment Gon shared with his mother. 

Out of habit, he pressed his fingers to the upper part of the door frame, drawing his hand back when he felt nothing beneath them. 

“Right, not every place has a _mezuzah 1_,” he reminded himself under his breath before knocking on the door. A muffled voice came from inside, and shuffling footsteps shuddered against the floor. He heard his name being said, followed by something in Arabic. 

The door opened, and Gon’s round, brown face smiled up at him. 

“Killua! Hi!” Gon chirped, a wide grin spreading across his freckled cheeks. 

“Hey.”

“You can come in! We don’t bite, I promise!” Gon laughed as he held open the door. 

“Thanks,” Killua stepped through the door and took off his shoes, placing them beside the door. The apartment was small but cozy, kitschy and decorated with tacky, old-looking furniture. 

“Okay, let’s go to my room so we can film!” Gon said with a smile. 

“Alright.” Killua made his way through the living room, passing the kitchen where Gon’s aunt Mito was cooking. She looked up at him and smiled, giving him a small wave. 

Killua waved back before heading down the hall towards Gon’s bedroom. 

“Here it is!” He said, chest puffed out as the door swung open. 

Gon’s bedroom was more or less average, the walls decorated with various posters, hand-drawn art, a bookshelf, a decorative prayer spread on the floor, and shelf upon shelf of insect terrariums. 

Killua shuddered at the sight, chewing his bottom lip as he entered the room. He stood in the corner and watched as Gon set up his camera in front of his desk, which had been pushed away from the wall and towards the center of the room, in a more ideal situation for filming. 

Gon turned to face Killua again, smile dropping. “You look pale. Do you still wanna do this? We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Our fans have been waiting.”

Gon shrugged. “You shouldn’t put what fans want over your own comfort.”

Killua sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his oversized sweatpants. “It’s not that, just...I want to do it and finally get over my fear of bugs.”

“Alright, if you insist. I’ll let you hold one of my easier bugs first if it makes you feel better.” 

“Thanks.”

Gon smiled and gestured for Killua to sit down, and he did. He squinted a bit in the light of the lamp that had been moved in front of the desk to brighten up the video. 

“I’m gonna start filming now, I’ll just edit the video after, ‘kay?” Gon said. 

“That’s fine,” Killua nodded. Gon grossed the room and turned on the camera. It beeped a few times, and Gon gave a frustrated huff as he fiddled with it, shifting his weight between either foot. 

Killua couldn’t help but focus on how cute Gon looked, tongue poking out from between his lips as he pressed several buttons on the side of the camera. 

“There we go, finally. Ugh, sorry. This camera’s sorta old, and it acts up sometimes. I’m saving up for a new one as soon as I can.”

“It’s fine, and I hope you can get a new one soon.”

He heard the plastic top of a terrarium being opened, and a sharp, electric spark crawled down his spine.

“Alright,” Gon made his way back towards the desk with his hands cupped, taking a seat in the chair beside Killua. 

“Alright, let’s record the opening!” 

“Okay.” Killua looked down at Gon’s cupped hands, but the way he held the bug made it impossible for Killua to see. 

“Hey everyone! Gon here!”

“I’m Killua.”

Gon’s smile widened, and his cheeks dimpled with happiness. “Today we’re doing a ‘meet my pets’ video with Killua here! I’m gonna be introducing him to some of my bugs!”

He glanced at Killua, encouraging him to say something. 

“Uh...I’m scared of bugs, so it’ll be an experience,” he said. 

Gon laughed, “okay, open your hands. I’m introducing him to Ciel first, since he’s nice.”

Killua squeezed his eyes shut and opened his hands. Gon placed the bug into his hands, and he shuddered at the feeling of its feet against his fingers. 

“You can open your eyes!”

Killua opened his eyes and looked down into his hands, watching as the chalky, light-blue beetle crawled around.

He swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat, looking into the camera and smiling as best he could. 

“It’s okay, he won’t bite.”

As if on cue, the beetle stopped moving and fell onto its back, legs twitching. 

“Uh...he died…” Killua mumbled. 

“No, no, he didn’t! He just does that.”

Killua raised his eyebrows. “Do they all do that?”

“Mhmm! It’s a trait unique to his species!”

Killua watched Gon as he rambled about his beetle, eyes sparkling with intrigue. 

If he was being honest, he didn’t care about the bugs. Just hanging out with Gon was fun. 

“Ah...so is he just gonna...stay like that?” Killua asked, giving the beetle a little poke. 

“I dunno. It depends on his mood. I think he’s scared of you.”

Killua chuckled nervously. “Am I scary?”

“Nah, you’re soft. Even if you seem a little rough around the edges, you’re not scary at all!” Gon said. 

Killua shifted in his seat as Gon complimented him, an embarrassed flush spreading through his cheeks. “I...thanks.”

“Alright, I’m gonna take another bug out! Would you be okay with holding one of my mantises?” Gon asked. 

“Um...do they bite?” 

“No, they won’t. I promise none of them will hurt you.”

“I...okay…” Killua mumbled. Thinking about holding a big praying mantis made his stomach churn. 

“Anyways, while he’s doing that…” Killua let Gon take Ciel back. He wasn’t going to miss him, that was for sure. He still hated bugs. He probably always would. 

“People always ask why I hate bugs…” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Most of the people subscribed to my channel know I’m adopted.”

Gon returned to the table, hands open. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but you wanna hold?” He asked, holding the mantis near Killua’s head. 

Killua squeaked and almost jumped out of the chair. “What the fuck—?!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Gon said as he held his mantis closer. 

“No, it’s okay.” Killua clutched at his chest.

“You wanna hold it?” Gon asked. 

“Uh...sure.”

Gon nodded and sat down beside Killua. He opened his hands and let the mantis crawl onto Killua’s.

Killua looked down at the light pink mantis, its body a natural imitation of round flower petals. It was actually kind of cool, even if it scared him. His heart throbbed in his chest as the mantis crept up his hoodie sleeve, pink body swaying.

“I don’t like that...he’s gonna crawl up my arm,” Killua cried. The hair on the back of his neck rose up as it made its way up the gray fabric of his hoodie. 

“It’s okay! It can’t hurt you, but I’ll move it,” Gon said. With that, he reached down to pick up the mantis and returned it to Killua’s hands. 

He laughed awkwardly as he held it, a wave of anxiety rolling over him and vanishing as the seconds passed. It wasn’t as scary as he’d led himself to believe, but he still wanted it gone. 

“Can you take it?” Killua asked. 

“Mhmm!” 

Gon placed his open palms in front of Killua’s, and the mantis returned to his stable, trusting palms. He returned it to the long, cylindrical glass vase that it lived in.

“The next bug is a little gross, but they’re really cool and also don’t bite.”

Bile rose into Killua’s throat once again. “Gross? Is it cockroaches?”

Gon returned to the table with cupped hands. “Yeah, actually.”

Killua stood up from his chair, its legs groaning against the carpeted floor of Gon’s bedroom. “No way.”

“Hey, it’s okay. They aren’t like the kind you see in your house. These ones can’t fly. They’re Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.”

“Hissing?”

“Yeah, they hiss sometimes.” 

“Fuck that.”

Gon laughed and shook his head. “Just hold her, I promise nothing bad will happen.” 

Killua sighed. “Alright.”

“Open your hands.”

Killua drew in a sharp breath and opened his hands again. Gon did the same and released the cockroach into Killua’s hands. He almost drew them back and sent the bug flying onto the floor, but he held himself back somehow. 

“Jesus fuck.”

Gon cocked his head. “What do you think?”

“It’s gross and creepy…” Killua mumbled. The feeling of the roach’s legs against his hands made all the skin on his body feel as though it was crawling with hundreds of other insects. 

“This isn’t fair y’know. You can’t hold my fish!” Killua protested. 

“Sorry! You don’t have to hold her if you don’t want, I can take her back—” Gon started. 

Killua grinned and shook his head. “I was joking, but this does kind of suck. Can you take her?”

Gon took the roach back and returned her to her terrarium. 

“Was that as bad as you thought it would be?” He asked as he took his seat beside Killua again. 

Killua cringed and wiped his sweaty palms against his pants. “I mean...not really, but I still hated it.”

“That makes sense. I mean, you’ve had a fear of bugs for a long time. It makes sense you wouldn’t just get over it like that,” Gon said. 

“Yeah, but it was fun hanging out with you. I mean…! I...I liked meeting you. It’s kinda crazy we lived so close, especially since I was a fan of your videos for a while. It was kind of my way of slowly desensitizing myself to bugs,” Killua told him, averting his eyes from the camera. As embarrassing as it was, it felt good to get it off his chest. 

“I liked hanging out with you too. I’m coming to your place after, right?” Gon asked, putting a finger to his lips. 

Blush erupted into Killua’s cheeks. “Don’t say that on camera!”

“Oh, sorry. I can just edit it out later!” Gon rubbed at the back of his neck. 

“But yeah, you’re allowed. My dads said it’s fine, and I need to film my part of the collab.”

“Okay! Let’s film the ending then, and I’ll head over. Aunt Mito said I’m allowed as long as I’m back for dinner!” Gon said. 

Killua propped his elbows up on the table. “Okay.” 

He looked into the camera, brushing a bit of hair from his face. “Thanks for watching, everyone! Expect our videos soon. They’ll each be posted on our channels separately.”

“Make sure you watch! Subscribe to Killua if you haven’t! See you soon! I hope you look forward to seeing both of our videos!” Gon waved at the camera and gave a bright, glowing smile that made Killua swoon. 

“Alright!” He got up and turned off the camera, cheeks dimpled with happiness. 

“Should we leave now?” Killua sighed as he got up from the chair. 

“Yeah!”

“Hey, Gon…”

Gon opened the door, glancing over his shoulder at Killua. 

“Are you excited?”

“Mhmm! I hope we can collab a lot more in the future, too! It’s so much fun.”

Killua’s heart skipped several beats when Gon said that. “Me too. Even if it does involve holding a bunch of gross bugs.”

Laughter bubbled forth from Gon’s lips like a stream, and Killua wasn’t sure if he’d survive another few hours with Gon.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. A decorative case with a parchment scroll inside containing Hebrew verses (Deu. 6:4-9, 11:13-21) from the Torah on it, affixed to the doorpost of a Jewish house. Back


End file.
